Loom harness mechanism.



E. S. STIMPSON. LOOM HARNESS MECHANISM. APPLIOATIOH FILED MAR. 10, 1909.

929,802. J Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. c mnRsw. a. car-Mm co. Pmvmrmoemmins. wlmcrom a E. S. STIMPSON LOOMHARNESS MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1909.

929,802. Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

2 SHEETSr-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTArns PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. STIMPSON, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPERCOMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

LOOM HARNESS MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Application filed March 10, 1969. Serial No. 482,478.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. STIMPSON, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Hopedale, county of WVorcester, State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Loom Harness Mechanism, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of novel and effectivemechanism for controlling the movement of loom harnesses, and it isparticularly adapted for use in connection with multiple-harnessmechanism, wherein three or more harness members are employed, myinvention being capable of operating a set of harnesses with as muchdiversity of combination as can be attained by the use of a dobby, butwith much simplified mechanism.

In accordance with my present invention each harness is reciprocatedindividually and independently of other harnesses of the set, and I havearranged for a positive actuation in one direction, and for movement inthe opposite direction by a spring-actuated device.

Each harness is operatively connected with two rocking members, and ismoved in one direction by cam-actuated means, said rocking members beingpositively connected by an equalizing device movable in a fixed path andcausing said members to rock oppositely and equally, and a springcooperating directly with the equalizer effects therethrough movement ofthe harness in the direction opposite that due to the cam-actuatedmeans.

Simplicity, strength, ease of operation, and versatility as to the orderof operation of the various harnesses of a set are distinguishingcharacteristics of my invention, the various novel features thereofbeing fully described in the subjoined specification and particularlypointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a transverse section on the line 11, Fig. 2, of a portion ofa loom, equipped with harness mechanism embodying one form of myinvention, but with only two harness members and their operatingmechanism shown, to avoid confusion and unnecessary illustration; Fig. 2is a front elevation of the upper portion of the mechanism shown in Fig.1, omitting the treadles and their controlling cams; Fig. 3 is avertical section on line 3-3, Fig. 1, looking toward the left;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of the connection between anequalizer and one of its pair of rocking members, taken on line 1- 1,Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1 A is the loom-frame, C the cam-shaft provided Withsuitable harness-controlling cams O, O and T T are the treadlesconnected by suitable members 25, t with the bottom bars of the harnessmembers H, H it being understood that herein while I have shown only twoharness members and their bottom attachments the structure is shown inFig. 1 as designed for eight harness members.

The harness members may be of any suitable construction and arereciprocated in vertical paths, and they are ositively depressed throughthe action of t e cams upon the treadles, as will be apparent. Thelifting devices for the several harnesses are mounted on the front andrear top-bars A of the arch A erected upon the loom-sides, the top-barsbeing sufficiently separated to receive between them the liftingdevices. Opposed, upright brackets 2 are rigidly attached to thetop-bars at the center thereof and connected at their upper ends by across-bar 3, the foot 4 of each bracket depending below its adj acenttop-bar, the feet having securely bolted to them the substantiallytriangular front and back portions 5 of a casting having a V- shapedbottom 6, Figs. 1 2 and 3. Bosses 7, 7 are bolted to the front and backof the casting near its ends, to sustain parallel, horizontal rods orshafts 8, 8 which serve as fulcra for a plurality of pairs of rockingmembers operatively connected with the harnesses, the rods being fixedlyheld in the bosses by set screws 9, Fig. 1.

As herein shown each rocking member is made as a lever having a bearinghub 10, the outer arm 1 1 of the lever being longitudinally ribbed, seeFig. 3 and hooked at its extremity, at 12, while the flat inner arm 13is laterally oifset from the center of the hub, lying in a planeparallel to the plane of the outer arm 11, see Fig. 1, and two of suchmembers, mounted respectively on the fixedfulcra 8, 8, constitute a airand are attached to a harness by dra t-connectors 14 provided withturn-buckles or open upper ends to engage the hooks 12.

The front harness H is shown as depressed, and the neXt harness H behindit is lifted, to more clearly illustrate the structure. The

' 1, between the bosses 7, and in Fig. 1, I have omitted all of thelevers except the first two, to avoid confusion. When the outer arms ofa pair of rocking members are depressed the attached harness is down, asH, while the elevation of the said outer arms lifts the. at-

tached harness, as H so that the levers of a pair must rock oppositelyin unison and through equal angles, in order to effect movement of theattached harness smoothly and without twisting or tilting. This 1 effectby equalizing means positively connecting the inner arms of each pair ofrocking members or levers, said. equalizing means being herein shown asa species of eross-hea l. 15, vertically sliding on an upright guide-rod16 fixed at its upper end in the crossbar 3 and at its lower end seatedin the thickened part 17 of the \l-shaped bottom 6 of the casting beforereferred to. There are as many equalizers 15 and their fixed guides 16as there are harnesses in the set, the equalizers reciprocating in fixedpaths midway between the fulcra 8, 8, Figs. 2 and 3. Each equalizer islaterally slotted at 18, Fig. 3, and in each slot is inserted with aneasy sliding fit a tubular bushing 19, Fig. 41, flanged at its front endat 20, the bushing receiving loosely a stud 21 extended at right anglesfrom the inner face of a lever arm 13.

Referring to Fig. it will be seen that the inner arms 13 of thecooperating pair of rocking levers are thus positively connected withthe equalizer 15, but in a slidable and pivotal manner, so that as theequalizer moves up and down the connected levers will swing on theirfulcra 8, 8 oppositely but in unison and through equal angles. Thelevers cannot move longitudinally on their fulcra, so that their arms 13must move in fixed vertical planes, and hence the studs 21 are retainedin the bushings 19, while the flanges 20 of the latter, interposedbetween adjacent faces of the equalizer and the arms 13, are held inplace and cannot fall out. This pivotal and sliding connection betweenthe equalizer and the pair of cooperating levers is thus at once simpleand effective, and obviates set-screws, or other fastening or retainingdevices.

I provide a direct-acth1g lifting spring 22- for each harness, andherein it is shown as a compression spring, coiled about the guide 16 ofits adjacent equalizer between the lat ter and the cross-bar 3, andcooperating directly with the equalizer. When a harness .is depressed bythe cam-operated means shown in Fig. 1. the corresponding equalizer 1.5will be raised, as will be apparent, compressing its spring 22 andstoring up energy therein, and when the depressing cam ceases to act thespring at once expands, pushing down the equalizer and through theconnected levers lifting the harness. The lifting springs are madesufficiently strong and powerful to effect readily the elevation of'theharness and overcome frictional resistance of the overhead parts, andthey are laterally sustained and supported by the guides 16 extendedthrough them, so that the springs cannot flex or be twisted out ofproper position when compressed or expanded. Inasmuch as each harness isequipped with one of the spring-actuating lifting devices the movementof every harness is individualized and independent of all the otherharnesses of the set, so that various combinations of movements can beemployed. The lifting springs keep the usual treadle-rolls in closeengagement with the cams, obviating backlash and lost motion, and as thesprings act directly upon the equalizers their power is applied at themost effective points. The casting which sustains the lifting devices isso positioned beneath the fulcra of the rocking members that thenecessary parts can be thoroughly lubricated without danger to the warpor parts of the loom structure, for the V-shaped bottom 6 of the castingis extended beneath all lubricated parts of the mechanism, and catchesand collects any oil that may drop therefrom.

A very steady and smoothly running harness mechanism is secured by theconstruction embodying my invention, it is out of the way of the weaver,and takes the place and performs the functions of a dobhy whileoccupying much less room and being much simpler in structure.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination, with a verticallymovableloom-harness, and cam-actuated means to depress it, of an overheadlifting device therefor comprising two rocking members operativelyconnected with the harness, equalizing meansmovable in a fixed verticalpath between the fulcra of said rocking members, sliding and pivotalconnections between the equalizer and said members, to cause saidmembers to rock oppositely in unison, and a lifting spring actingdirectly upon said equalizing means.

2. The combination, with a verticallymovable loom-harness, andcam-actuated means to depress it, of an overhead lifting device thereforcomprising two rocking members operatively connected with the harness,equalizing means positively and directly connected with and to causesaid members to rock oppositely in unison, and a fixed upright guide forand upon which said equalizing means is slidable longitudinally.

3. The combination, with a verticallymovable loom-harness, andcam-actuated means to depress it, of an overhead lifting device thereforcomprising two rocking members operatively connected with the harness,equalizing means positively and directly connected with and to causesaid members to rock oppositely in unison, and a lifting spring fixed atone end and at its other end acting directly upon the equalizing means,and a fixed guide for said means and serving also to laterally supportthe spring.

4. The combination, with a verticallymovable loom-harness, andcam-actuated means to depress it, of an overhead lifting device thereforcomprising two rocking members operatively connected with the harness,equalizing means positively and directly connected with and to causesaid members to rock oppositely in unison, and a lifting spring abovethe equalizing means, bearing at its lower end upon said means and fixedat its upper end, and a fixed upright guide extended through the springand the equalizing means and upon which the latter is verticallyslidable.

5. The combination, with a reciprocating loom-harness, and means to moveit positively in one direction, of a spring-actuated device to move itin the opposite direction comprising two rocking members operativelyconnected with the harness, a reciprocating equalizer positively anddirectly connected with and to cause the rocking members to rockoppositely in unison, a fixed upright guide for and upon which theequalizer reciprocates, and an actuating spring cooperating directlywith the equalizer.

6. The combination, with a verticallymovable, loom-harness, and means todepress it positively, of a spring-actuated lifting device thereforcomprising two levers mounted on fixed fulcra and each having its outerarm operatively connected with the harness, vertically-reciprocatingequalizing means positively and slidably connected with the inner armsof said levers, to cause them to rock oppositely and equally, and acompressible lifting springacting directly upon the equalizing means.

7. The combination, with a verticallyniovable, loom-harness, and meansto depress it positively, of a spring-actuated lifting device thereforcomprising two levers mounted on fixed fulcra and each having its outerarm operatively connected with the harness, a vertically-reciprocating,horizontally-slotted equalizer between said levers,

the inner arm of each having a lateral stud, a bushing on each studslidable in the slotted portion of the equalizer, to positively connectthe latter and the levers and cause the latter to rock oppositely andequally, an overhead, compressible lifting spring acting directly uponthe equalizer to depress it and thereby lift the outer ends of thelevers and the harness connected therewith, and a fixed upright guideextended through the spring and the equalizer and upon which the latterslides.

8. In loom-harness mechanism, a plurality of vertically movable harnessmembers, means to depress them individually, and an independent liftingdevice for each harness member, such device comprising two leversmounted on fixed fulcra located in the same horizontal plane, thecorresponding levers of the several pairs being mounted side by side onone of the fulcra above the harness members, a vertically-movableequalizer positively and slidably connected with the inner arms of eachpair of levers to cause the same to rock oppositely and equally, draftconnections between the sides of a harness member and the outer arms ofits two levers, and a lifting spring acting directly upon each equalizerto depress it and elevate the outer arms of its connected pair oflevers.

9. In loom-harness mechanism, a plurality of vertically movable harnessmembers, means to positively and individually depress them, and anindependent, spring-actuated lifting device for each harness-member,each device comprising two members mounted to rock on fixed fulcra andoperatively connected with a harness member, a vertically movableequalizer between and positively and slidably connected with each pairof rocking members, to cause the same to rock oppositely and equally,and a lifting spring acting directly upon the equalizer to depress itand thereby through the connected rockgang members lift the attachedharness-mem- In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD S. STIMPSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE E. CHANDLER, E. D. OSGOOD.

